In the Moonlight
by slytherinsandwitch
Summary: An innocent Hogwarts ball turns to chaos when Hermione decides to prove Malfoy wrong by wearing a...let's say a dress that proves she's not a tight-ass. Dramione fanfiction!


Chapter 1

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its character. _I can dream…_

 **A/N:** Hey guys! This is a dramione fanfiction, but I did throw in some Ginny and Blaise action. Enjoy!

"Dark Pink gloss or nude?" she asked, holding up both.

"Oh, definitely the pink."

Hermione and Ginny sat in Hermione's dorm room. Normally, she wouldn't spend so much time on looks, so Ginny was an enormous help.

"We'd better hurry, the Yule Ball's tonight and _I_ still need to get dressed!" complained Ginny as she lied out across Hermione's bed.

"Don't worry, we've got like 3 hours," said Hermione as she applied her mascara.

Ginny glanced at the clock. "Nope. Down to 2."

Hermione swiveled her chair to face her best friend. "What do you think?" asked Hermione, motioning to her face uncertainly.

"Love, love, love it! I'd better start getting ready," Ginny said as she dashed off to fetch her dress in the next room.

Hermione capped her eyeliner and inspected herself in the mirror. She didn't want to go to heavy on the makeup, but still look noticeable. As the final touch, she opened the lip gloss and painted it on her lips. She rubbed them together and made a satisfying "pop" sound.

That morning the girls had gone off to get their hair done at Hogsmeade. This time, Hermione wanted her hair to be loose. She wanted to let her hair down, but have big really loose curls. Ginny got her hair straightened and smoothened, even though Hermione said doing so would be a waste of money.

"But since you're getting your hair done, I didn't want to be left out! Besides, look at how soft it is now!" said Ginny in wonderment.

As the two walked back to the carriages, Hermione's hair bounced as she walked, and she received several compliments from multiple groups of girls.

"The whole school's preparing!" exclaimed Ginny excitedly, clapping her hands in glee.

Of course, someone had to come and ruin the excitement. Malfoy and his little clan of goons approached the pair of girls.

"Ah! Look who it is, boys! Mrs. Potty and Mrs. Weasel!" exclaimed Draco, and his group erupted in laughter.

"Oh, shove off, Malfoy," sneered Ginny.

"Ha! And look, Granger's got a hairdo! Looks like you're not planning on being so rigid this coming ball! Not so tight-ass anymore, huh, Granger?" he asked, chuckling at his goons.

"I'll show you tight-ass!" screamed Ginny. She was about to charge when Hermione blocked her with her arm.

"He's not worth it," Hermione said coolly. They both turned and walked away, glaring at the laughing Slytherins.

As they climbed onto the carriages, they rolled their eyes.

"Count on Malfoy to take a happy moment and drain it of joy," remarked Ginny dryly.

"Whatever, let's just get back and get ready," stated Hermione. She gazed out the window, then glanced at Ginny, who was staring at her, deep in thought. Hermione raised her eyebrows as if motioning Ginny to tell her what's on her mind.

"I think you should use my dress," declared Ginny, out of the blue. "Yeah, you're the same size as me, I don't see why not-"

"But Ginny, why?"

"Well, I just can't stop thinking about that comment Malfoy made. My dress is… I'll just say that it will show him that you are _not_ a tight ass."

"Ginny, I don't care about Malfoy's weak insults."

"That's great, but I do! Please, I won't have clarity until you agree!" begged Ginny. Hermione paused to think it over. She wasn't in love with her new dress, but with Ginny, she didn't know what to expect.

"And you'll take mine?" asked Hermione. Ginny thought for a moment and nodded. Hermione took another long pause to think it over.

"Come on, Mione! Pretty please! I _promise_ , you'll look _fabulous_!" said Ginny in a singy voice. Hermione sighed, finally giving in.

"Alright, I'll do it," said Hermione, unenthusiastically. Ginny squealed and leaned over and hugged Hermione.

 _"_ _What did I get myself into?"_ though Hermione.

Hermione glanced at the wardrobe holding Ginny's former dress. She approached it, afraid of what her future awaited. As she swung the wooden doors to the wardrobe, she gasped in horror.

"GIN, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

Ginny came dashing to her distressed best friend.

"Oh, sure it looks skimpy on the hanger, but I tried it on. Trust me, it looks better on," said Ginny dismissively. "By the way, how do I look?" Ginny asked, twirling around. Hermione's former dress was an aquatic turquoise dress with a high collar. It was a short party dress, and it sparkled like a million diamonds.

"Honestly, it looks better on you than it looks on me," remarked Hermione.

"Thanks! I really think the turquoise matches my hair color!" Ginny giggled like the schoolgirl she was. "Now try yours on!"

The joy drained from her face, and Hermione grabbed the dress and slipped into the bathroom. Seconds later, she emerged, blowing Ginny's breath away. It was a strapless silver dress that stopped at the mere mid-thigh. It emphasized all of Hermione's curves, part of reason being it was tight.

"Like a prostitute. Ginny, why is this so tight?" Hermione asked, tugging at the dress.

" _Because_ Mione, I always get a size smaller. It emphasized the curves: Exhibit A," Ginny said, holding out her hand to the dress as if trying to sell it.

"Well, there's no way I'm going in this." Hermione crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Fine, you can cover it up. I have a fur coat you can wear, nothing big. But we had a deal, and you have to wear it!" whined Ginny.

Hermione rolled her eyes but said, "Okay." Ginny squealed and hugged her best friend. Glancing at the time, Ginny jumped and quickly applied her makeup and Hermione grabbed the coat. Together, the two slipped on their high heels and they floated down the stairs to Gryffindor Common room. Waiting for them at the bottom were Harry and Ron, whose jaws dropped.

"Wow, Ginny-"

"Bloody hell, Hermione!" exclaimed Ron, in awe. Hermione gave him a glare as she put on the coat.

"What is that supposed to mean, Ronald?" Ron blushed from the accusation.

"I just- I'm just saying that you look amazing," he looked down, ashamed. "Sorry."

Harry cleared his throat, and suggested that they get going. Everyone agreed, and Ginny and Harry linked arms, as well as Hermione and Ron.

As the group walked through the great oak walls, they were surprised. Unlike the last Yule Ball they had had, this one was way more modern. The place resembled a night club, with neon light striping the bar.

Ron bowed awkwardly. "Would you like to dance?"

"No, I think I'll just sit down for a bit, thanks." Blushing slightly, Ron sauntered off sheepishly to the dance floor. Sighing, Hermione made her way over to the bar. She plopped down and said, "One butterbeer, please." The bartender nodded and prepared her beverage.

"Plain old butterbeer? Can't get more boring than that!" remarked the person sitting next to her. Recognizing that voice, she snarled.

"I'm not boring, I just know what I like," replied Hermione, rather pleasantly. She happily grabbed the warm beverage in front of her and took a big sip.

"Please, butterbeer is a child's drink. Don't you ever take any risks, Gryffindor the Brave?"

Turning to meet Draco, she replied coolly, "Please, Malfoy. I've taken far more risks than you! All you do is let all of your goons do the work, without doing any yourself."

"Like that's even true!" Draco spat sarcastically. "Say, I bet you even wore the most modest dress here!" At that comment, Hermione closed the black fur coat completely around her, ensuring none of her dress showed. Pansy Parkinson, overhearing Draco sentence, budged in. She wore a plain green tight dress that looked like it was just made up of shiny wrapping paper.

"Yeah, I bet you even have a collar on your dress! Classic Granger, too scared to show any cleavage-" Pansy would have finished if Hermione, out of her silent anger, slipped off the coat. As she did so, two guys whistled at her, and Draco froze. Pansy gasped and stomped off, mumbling the word, "slut."

Victorious, Hermione swiveled back to her drink. A few seconds into a sip, she noticed Draco.

He was staring at her, his mouth wide open. Hermione sighed and said, "Close your mouth, Malfoy, you're catching flies." Immediately, his mouth snapped shut. Swirling back to face the bar, he looked down at his drink, not saying a word.

 _"_ _I can't believe the only girl to make me speechless is…_ Granger _!"_ Draco though. He stared down at his drink intensely as if expecting an answer out of it. " _No, the only reason is because she hides all of her beauty under oversized sweaters and frizzy- wait! She has no beauty what-so-ever!"_ He peeked at her from the corner of his eye. " _She just tries too hard for dances. She probably splatters on pounds of makeup to get herself to look like that."_

Satisfied with his explanation, he swiveled his chair around and jumped up to join his friends, only to bump into Pansy Parkinson. Unfortunately, she had been balancing four mimosas. The sticky solution spilled all over Draco and Hermione. Frozen with shock, everyone stared at the two, even the DJ paused the music. Hermione lifted a strand of her sticky, dripping hair.

Ginny broke through the crowd, grabbed Hermione's arm, and dashed her to the closest bathroom (Without bothering to check if it was boys or girls).

"Oh my Merlin! Look at your dress!" Ginny exclaimed. "What in the world happened?"

"I…don't know. I mean, the only thing I saw was Malfoy and Parkinson together…" Hermione's expression turned from confusion to hatred.

"Ginny…your dress…I'm so sorry."

"Oh, don't worry yourself a bit. It's those snakes' fault! In the meantime, let's try and fix this dress up," replied Ginny enthusiastically. She grabbed handfuls of paper towels and dabbed them onto the dress, but that did no good. The dress was ruined, and was stained with sticky orange juice.

"Ginny, what are you going to do? The dress, it's ruined-"

"Why don't you just use a cleaning spell?"

"It would dismantle the fabric. It says on the tag."

"Oh Hermione, don't worry about that, it was on sale. The real question is, what are you going to wear?" Ginny brought her hand to her chin. Just as she said that, Blaise burst in, carrying a barely conscious Draco. Ginny shrieked.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE? THIS IS A GIRL'S…" Ginny's voice trailed off. She walked over to the door to look at the sign. "Oh."

"Ginny…did you drag me into a boy's bathroom?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms. Ginny laughed nervously.

"Hehe. I guess I did." Ginny smiled sheepishly at her best friend.

"Alright, c'mon. Let's go," Hermione drawled out.

"It's fine, you guys can stay. I just have to make a potion for Draco, and we'll be out," said Blaise. Ginny looked confused.

"Why?"

"Pansy punched Draco. I don't know why, but he's not really in the state to explain right now. I'll brew him that anti-pain potion we learned last year."

"Oh! I'm so good at that potion! I use it all the time when I get my per-…" Ginny froze as she realized she had said too much.

"Woah! TMI, Weasley! I don't need all of the deets on your menstrual cycles-" Blaise was about to finish when Hermione cut him off.

"It's fine, we'll just leave," Hermione said quickly as she pushed Ginny out the door.

"No, Hermione! The closest girl's bathroom is all the way on the next floor! We won't take long!" Ginny whined. "And, you know, if Blaise needs help, I could help him out with the potion. It would be good practice for me!" Hermione looked at her friend, at the stairs, at the door, and at her friend again. Ginny was making her puppy dog face, which Hermione rolled her eyes at.

"…Fine," Hermione said, clearly not excited. Ginny squealed, jumping up and down, and dragged Hermione back into the bathroom.

"Well, well, well. Look whose back," Blaise said, clearly amused. Ginny flashed a smile at him.

"Don't worry, we'll only take a minute or two. Mione needs a new dress," Ginny explained. "Now," Ginny turned to face Hermione, "What other dresses do you have?"

"What? I don't have any other dresses, just that one! I don't go around, carrying truckloads of gowns in case of a surprised dance!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Wow, Hermione. I expected more from you." Ginny could hear Blaise chuckling behind them. "The one you're wearing is my only one too. Money doesn't grow on trees!"

"Well, then what? I can't wear this! It's sticky and wet!" Hermione cried, pulling at the dress that was sticking to her body like a magnet.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear your dilemma, and I think I might have the solution," Blaise said, cutting in.

"Really?" Ginny asked, overjoyed.

"Sure! I'll be right back, just keep an eye on Draco. Make sure he doesn't kill himself," he said as he walked out the door.

The two looked down at the pathetic heap of Malfoy. He was lying there much like a slug, his breathing steady.

"Blaise is getting you a dress! Isn't that sweet!" cried Ginny, grabbing her friend's arm.

"But how? Does he keep a stash of dresses just in case someone's gets ruined by orange juice?" Hermione asked, suspiciously. Ginny shrugged. Just then, Draco stirred, mumbling words.

"Dance…butterbeer…dress…juice…" Draco muttered in his sleep.

"What in the world is he talking about?" asked Ginny, looking quizzically at Hermione, who stiffened at the word, butterbeer.

"Huh? Oh, I don't know…random words, I guess," she said, looked at the stained glass that was shaped like the Hogwarts symbol.

Blaise came crashing through the door, startling both girls.

"Did anything happen? Is he okay?" he asked, looking at the heap of his best friend. Ginny's face softened at his concern for his friend.

"Everything's fine, he's just mumbling stuff," Ginny said, looking at the dress over his arm. It was made of dark green (figures) silk. He held it up for them to see, and Hermione gasped. It had a heart neckline, and right below the chest was a line made of diamonds that circled the entire dress. She walked up to him and took the dress into her hand.

"How did you get this?" she asked, stunned.

"I have my ways," he said. He winked at her, and she grinning, scurrying into the closest stall.

"Ugh!" she cried. "This is the grossest stall I have ever seen!" she cried from the inside. She unlocked the door, and looking for a cleaner stall. "They're all like this!" She looked at Blaise, disgusted. He laughed.

"Don't look at me! I only use our common room bathroom!" he said defensively.

"Men are disgusting," she muttered. She walked into the biggest stall and closed the door. A few seconds later, she called.

"Um, Ginny. I can't reach the zipper…"

"Coming!" Ginny replied cheerfully. She noticed Blaise was following her, and she turned around, grinning. "No, not you," she laughed. He chuckled.

"Don't worry, I was just kidding," he said. She smiled and ran to her best friend.

"I can't get in if the door is locked." She heard a click. "Thank you!" she said as she walked in, locking the door behind her.

"Oh my Merlin! Mione, you look amazing!" squealed Ginny. She walked up to her best friend's back and began to fix the stuck zipper.

"I couldn't help but notice you and Zabini over there are quite smitten with each other," she whispered. Ginny grinning.

"I guess part of the appeal is that he's a forbidden fruit," Ginny said, giggling like the schoolgirl she was. "What's up with you and Malfoy?"

Hermione turned her head, looking at her friend, baffled.

"What in the world are you talking about?"

Ginny gave Hermione a look.

"I'm not stupid, you know. He was muttering about you in his sleep," said Ginny, accusing her friend. Hermione turned a magnificent shade of magenta.

"I still don't know what you're talking about," she said stubbornly.

"C'mon, Hermione! I know you were talking to Malfoy. What happened?"

"Girls, I'm going to grab a brewing pot and ingredients, I'll be right back!" called Blaise.

"Okay!" Ginny replied from the stall, still working on Hermione's zipper. There was a moment of silence, and Hermione hoped Ginny forgot about their conversation.

"You know I'm still waiting for an answer," Ginny said, pleasantly. Hermione groaned.

"Okay! We talked! Happy?" exclaimed Hermione, annoyed.

"Not quite. Just tell me what you did after you went to the bar," Ginny said in a gentle tone. Hermione sighed, knowing her friend would not let this go until she got what she wanted.

"Alright, I sat down at the bar, and ordered a butterbeer. Malfoy made some rude comments, and the next thing I know, I'm covered in orange juice!"

"No, no. You're not giving me the juicy details!" Ginny whined from behind her friend.

"You don't want the details!"

"Oh, yes I do! Every. Single. One." There was silence.

"I just don't understand why you are so obsessed with this!" Hermione exclaimed.

"You know how I am, I need to know everything about everyone. I promise I won't make any noise until you finish," Ginny stated. "I mean, did anything super important happen there, anything you're embarrassed about?"

"Of course not!"

"Then there's no problem in telling me," Ginny said quickly. Hermione groaned.

"…I sat down, ordered a butterbeer, and he teased me about it. We argued, then the topic changed to my dress. Pansy joined in, accusing me of wearing a modest dress, so…"

"So?"

"So I took off the coat to make her shut up," Hermione said, smiling to herself.

"What did Malfoy look like? Did he totally loose it?" asked Ginny eagerly. Hermione laughed.

"Yeah. I said something like, 'Close your mouth, you're catching flies,'" Hermione said, grinning.

"Merlin, Mione, you are so awesome, I wish I was there to see it. I've got to say, you looked sexy in that dress."

Just then, Blaise entered the bathroom, accompanied by a mini brewing pot and several cans full of ingredients.

"I'm back, ladies! Seriously, are you still trying to zip the dress?" he asked, looking at the closed stall door.

"Yes! It's stuck, and I can't seem to-"

"Do you need help?" Blaise shouted. Hermione turned to Ginny, mouthing the word, NO! Ginny smiled at her best friend. She was about to reply, but Hermione beat her to it.

"No, it's okay! Ginny can just use a spell, right Ginny?" Ginny gave Hermione a pouty look and huffed.

"Yeah, I guess," she mumbled, pulling out her wand. She muttered a quick spell, zipped up the dress, and walked out the door. Hermione rolled her eyes at her upset friend as she followed her out.

"My, Granger! You look ravishing!" Blaise exclaimed, his arms out. Hermione smiled genuinely, twirling.

"And this one doesn't feel like I'm wearing a wet suit," Hermione said, laughing.

"Yeah. The last one was giving off a sexy vibe, but this one is more elegant and gorgeous," Ginny exclaimed, feeling the dress's fabric. "Merlin, that's soft!"

Blaise then sat down behind the pot, and poured in a jar full of slimy pink goo. As it flopped into the pot, Ginny scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"The color reminds me of Mione's lip gloss…Lip gloss! Makeup!" Ginny began to panic, jumping up in front of Hermione, waving her hands frantically. "Your makeup doesn't match the dress!"

"Oh no! Whatever shall you do?" Blaise said, sarcastically dramatic.

"Sit tight, I'll grab my stuff!" Ginny said to Hermione, heading for the door in a sprint.

"Wait! I'm coming too, I forgot a ladle," Blaise shouted at her. He looked over at Hermione. "Would you mind watching Draco? Thanks!" he said, without giving her a chance to answer.

Surrounded by silence, she looked over at Malfoy. She snorted, " _More like dead slug,"_ she thought, looking him over. He had changed a lot since first year. Instead of slicking back his hair with pounds of gel, his hair was now free, and fell into his face once in a while when he wrote in class.

Hermione took the chance to study his face. She had to admit that he looked…handsome when he wasn't scowling or sneering, and she would be lying if she said he wasn't attractive. He had a strong jaw line, present cheekbones, a straight nose, and his skin was unnaturally pale, but it suited him. At one glance, you would be able to tell he plays quidditch. He had impressive muscles so big, you question if they are real. Hermione slowly approached his lying figure and crouched down. One of his sleeves was rolled up, exposing muscle. Without thinking, she reached to feel his muscle. Besides, Krum let her do it. But quickly, she realized that this boy was far from Krum and would probably look at her as a freak, or worse, smirk like he knew how ripped he was. But still, she gazed at them. " _Hard as rocks I bet,"_ she thought, impressed. Gazing over him, she then noticed a purple patch of skin on his chin.

 _"_ _Damn, Pansy! You can pack a punch!"_ Hermione thought, surprised. Without thinking, she felt the bruise, and he stirred, startling her.

"No…she's a mudblood…not attractive…can't be…father…would kill me…" he mumbled, turning over. Hermione froze in her place, her eyes as big as golf balls. He couldn't be talking about… _her!_ But she knew that when he said _mudblood,_ he was referring to her. She scowled at the nickname.

Blaise and Ginny burst in, startling Hermione, who shot up from her crouched position next to Draco. Blaise raised an eyebrow and Ginny looked at her knowingly.

"What? You told me to watch him!" Hermione said, defensively. Blaise shrugged, and Ginny handed Hermione her makeup bag.

"Here. Can I trust you to know what matches and what doesn't?" Ginny asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Sure, I'll use the brightest red lipstick you've got!" Hermione said sarcastically, walking over to the sink mirror.

"Don't make yourself look like a Christmas tree!" Ginny called after her, grinning.

"Oh, the horror!" Blaise said, dramatically, waving his arms in terror. Hermione turned to look at him.

"By the way, I saw that you already had a ladle. You didn't need to go get one," she said, looking at him. He fake gasped.

"Guess I didn't see it," he said, pouring spider legs into the pot. Hermione turned back to the mirror, rolling her eyes. Blaise stared at the pot, his brows creased together.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

"I can't seem to remember what comes next," he said, not removing his eyes from the pot. Ginny plopped down next to him, looking into the pot.

"You just put in the spider legs, right? Okay, so now you sprinkle in the ground fairy wings, then the sap," she said easily. "You got the correct kind of sap, right? Redwood, not maple." Blaise nodded. "Good, I made that mistake once, and my fingernails turned a nasty shade of green," she said, cringing at the memory.

"Did you paint over them?" Blaise asked, looking over at her.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "I couldn't go around Hogwarts looking like I supported Slytherin! That would be social suicide! C'mon Blaise, get it together!" she said, quite loudly. "You know, sometimes I don't like how each house has their own colors, because then you're sort of banned from wearing them. I had to burn all of my green shirts when I got back from my first year at Hogwarts," she said sadly.

"Burn them? Couldn't you have just thrown them away?"

"No! They had to _burn!_ I watched them become destroyed in the fire!" she shouting, cracking up. "It gave me a sense of clarity," she said, calmly.

"It was comforting to watch the Slytherin colors get eaten up by the flames?"

"Extremely."

Blaise looked up from the boiling pot, made eye contact with Ginny, and they both burst out laughing. Blaise fell over, clutching his stomach, while Ginny gasped for air. Hermione walked into the scene, looking around at the two lunatics.

"What exactly is going on here?" Hermione asked, stopping in her tracks. Ginny scrambled to her feet, brushing off her dress.

"Nothing," Ginny said, rather quickly. Hermione crossed her arms. "Um…are…are you finished?" she asked, rather uncomfortably.

"Putting on my makeup? Yes. Now let's go," Hermione said, ushering her friend. Ginny looked torn, and chewed on her lip.

"Actually…Blaise looks like he needs some help. If you don't mind, I'd like to stay behind…" she said softly. Hermione studied her friend, then changed her focus to Blaise. He winked at her, and she replied with an eye roll.

"Alright, have fun," she replied, giving Blaise an if-you-do-anything-to-her-I-swear-I-will-personally-hang-you-by-your-underwear-from-the-Astromany-Tower look as she closed the door behind her. As she made her way through the halls to get back to the dance, she thought about Blaise and Ginny.

First things first, he was a Slytherin, and she was a Gryffindor. Enough said there. It just didn't make any sense. Gryffindor would feel betrayed by Ginny, and Slytherin would feel disgusted by her. Both houses would hate them both. Meaning that if they did get together, Hermione would have to comfort her friend, which was something she wasn't looking forward to. Of course, Hermione would have to support her friend's decision, which wouldn't be too hard. All house issues and beliefs aside, Blaise was a pretty nice guy, and it was obvious he was very smitten with her.

Secondly, their families were a _huge_ problem. They were practically enemies! Zabini's believed in killing muggles, and the Weasley's were known as _muggle lovers._ So really, they couldn't tell their families. Hermione sighed. If she told Ginny this, she would only rave how it was a Romeo and Juliet story, or how the sneaking around added a sense of thrill.

" _Don't worry about it for now, just enjoy the dance,_ " she thought to herself as she walked through the tall oak doors. By now, it seemed, everybody was on the dance floor. She grinned when she saw Neville rocking out by himself, bopping his head around. When he spotted her, he smiled and ran over to her.

"Best dance we've had in years, eh Hermione!" he told her, still bopping his head.

"Oh, it's fantastic," she said, looking around at the set up.

"Well, my lady, would you care for a dance," he asked playfully, bowing and offering his hand. She laughed.

"It would be my honor," she said, placing her hand into his, laughing as he dragged her to the dance floor.

After a few tiring rock out dances, in came a slow song. Instantly excited, Neville once again offered her his hand asking, "May I have this dance?" Smiling, she took it and they did just so.

"You know, I've been practicing my ballroom dancing. I even begged Grandma to buy me lessons," he said. She smiled whole heartedly.

"I can tell. Very impressive," she said, smiling at him. Someone tapped on her shoulder, and she turned to find a blushing Ron.

"Um, may…may I have this dance?" he asked, his ears red. Hermione smiled awkwardly.

"Uh, actually, I was just going to call it quits. I'm pretty tired from the previous dancing," she explained. She felt bad for lying to him. She knew he fancied her, but she never felt the same way. She loved their friendship, nothing more, and didn't want to make it any more awkward. She thanked Neville and apologized to Ron, who nodded while looking down at his shoes. She made her way down the hall, and stopped at the boy's bathroom. " _Maybe I should check on them to see if they had gotten_ any _work done_ ," she thought.

She opened the door, revealing Blaise, who was holding Ginny's open hand, reading her palm while Ginny looked at him, fascinated. They both looked up her simultaneously.

"Oh! Hi, Hermione! Blaise was just reading my palm!" enthused Ginny. Hermione looked at Blaise with her eyebrows raised, who mouthed, "I have no idea what I'm doing," which made Hermione chuckle.

"Well, did you guys at least finish the potion?" Hermione asked, walking over to the pot and peering into it.

"Yeah, we're just letting it rest for a while," she said, carelessly. Hermione froze and her eyes widened.

"What? How long has it been sitting for?" Hermione asked, panicked. Ginny, scared by Hermione's tone, replied quickly.

"Uh, we just finished it. Like 3 minutes ago." Hermione let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Okay, we have 2 minutes to give this to Malfoy until it spoils." She looked over at her best friend. "Ginny! How could you not know that you can't let it spoil! Don't you make this all the time?" Hermione asked, rather loudly. Ginny look sheepish.

"I take it seconds after I make it, I've never let it cool before," she said, blushing.

Okay, at least Ginny never took it after it spoiled. That would result in her neck turning green. At least she won't forget now.

Touch wood.

She kneeled next to the cauldron and poured it into a steel cup. The bubbling mixture bared the color of flesh. The bubbles popped and emitted a smell similar to rotten squash. She scrunched up her face in disgust. For the first time in her life, she pitied Draco Malfoy.

Holding the cup a safe distance from her, she shuffled over to the unconscious blonde and placed the cup on the marble floor. Uncertain, she reached toward him but though better of it.

"Zabini, could you make Malfoy sit up? Maybe drag him to the wall?" she called to the dark skinned Slytherin. He patted Ginny's hand and jogged over to Draco's body. "Careful," she said as he grabbed under his armpits, "He might be heavy, he has a lot of muscle." Realizing her odd comment, she clamped her mouth shut.

Oh Merlin! What had possessed her to say that? Now they _both_ know that she had observed his muscular body. _Curse her and her female urges!_

Blaise's eyebrow rose as Hermione chewed on her lip nervously. Thankfully, he gave no response and he dragged Draco over to the wall as she had asked and made him lean against it. When Draco was sturdily in position, Hermione walked over to his figure, holding the cup. Sitting down, she placed her hands on his forehead and chin and tilted his head back. Then, she delicately opened his mouth and poured the revolting potion down his throat. Instantly, his body grew more relaxed, and Hermione smiled at his slumbering self. Locks of his glorious blonde hair fell in his face, and Hermione had to stop herself from brushing it out of his eyes.

Suddenly, Draco burst out coughing. He had such a fit, his face turned red.

"You alright, buddy?" asked Blaise, sitting next to Ginny a good distance away.

When he calmed down, he looked around, and jumped up when he noticed how close Hermione was to him.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here, Granger?" he asked, sneering. Immediately, he felt dizzy and woozy, and instantly regretted standing so suddenly. She merely tisked at him disapprovingly.

"Nope. You're not ready for standing. Sit back down," she demanded. Normally, Draco would ignored her instructions, but his head was still spinning, so he obeyed.

"How do you feel mate?" called Blaise.

"Like shit," he said bitterly. He turned his attention to the girl beside him. "What vile toxins did you force down my throat?" he asked Hermione, the taste of rotten zucchini and pepper sat on his tongue.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," she told him, rolling her eyes, "It was a potion to soften the blow of that nasty bruise you earned from Pansy." Draco's memory of the night rushed back into his brain, and he groaned. "What was that all about, anyway?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Yes it does."

"Well, it's none of your business," he said, crossing his arms.

 _As Hermione rushed off with Ginny, dripping in the sticky juice, Draco stood in shock, also drenched. Everyone was watching the scene that even the music momentarily paused. Pansy looked like she was a balloon ready to pop._

 _"_ _DRACO! Look at what you've done!" she screamed, brushing mere droplets off her arm. Draco stared at her, aghast._

 _"_ _What_ I've _done? Are you kidding me?" he yelled, "In no way is this my fault!" Pansy's face turned beet red with rage. She wound up her fist and before Draco knew what was happening, she punched him straight in the jaw, causing Draco to stumble backwards._

 _"_ _If you weren't so busy drooling over the Mudblood's breasts, we wouldn't be in this mess!" she screamed, and stormed out of the building._

 _It was so silent, one could hear a pin drop. Everyone stared at Draco, waiting for some kind of reaction. When nothing happened, the entire room erupted in whispers._

 _"_ _Malfoy fancies Hermione?"_

 _"_ _Was she serious?"_

 _"_ _Hermione better watch out…"_

 _"_ _I'm so jealous!"_

 _"_ _I saw them together at the bar."_

 _"_ _I don't believe it!"_

 _"_ _I always sensed some serious sexual tension between the two."_

 _"_ _There's no way they're an item."_

 _"_ _Draco's gone mad!"_

 _"_ _Slytherin Sex God is on the prowl!"_

 _With all of the stress and shocking scene and physical contact, the room started to get dizzy for Draco. Intending to go to the bathroom, he broke in a weak jog, only to find himself on the floor, losing consciousness. As he mentally faded out, he recognized a familiar male voice, and he felt himself get lifted from the stone floor._

 _Then everything went black._

"None of my business?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms. Draco looked around the room, his eyes falling on Ginny who was giving him a pointed look. He looked to Blaise, who was avoiding his gaze by getting a drink of water from the sink.

"Do I have to spell it out? N-O-T Y-O-U-R B-U-S-I-N-E-S-S!"

" _Oh_ , don't you dare give _me_ a spelling lesson!"

"Really, because it seems like everything you're hearing is going in one ear and out the other!"

"Watch your filthy mouth! I'm the one who gave you the potion, after all!"

"I'm filthy? You're the filthy one, you filthy little-"

"Another one of your famous 'mudblood' insults? Well, save your breath, because they're weak!"

Just then, Theodore Nott pranced in. He froze, realizing how many people (and females) were present. Shrugging, he sauntered over to the urinal. The arguing pair were too focused on their verbal duel to notice the Slytherin entering and continued to spout insults.

"My insults are not weak!"

"Oh, _really?_ Does 'filthy little mudblood" ring a bell? It should, you were just about to use it on me."

"Ass-kissing teacher's pet!"

"At least I'm not a pureblood spoiled snob!"

"Buck-toothed frizzyhead!"

"Bleached blonde!"

"Nosy smartass!"

"Inconsiderate prick!"

Both were panting from anger, glaring at each other as everyone watched. Suddenly, Nott had to break the awkward silence.

"…Is anybody else getting turned on by that, or is it just me?" he asked, shattering the silence.

Blaise choked on his water, in mid-sip, Ginny patted him on the back as he got into a coughing fit, which died down quickly. Hermione and Draco exchanged quizzical looks. The only sound you could hear was Theo Nott zipping up his zipper.

"I am also strangely turned on," Ginny commented, raising her hand, not the least bit embarrassed. Blaise once again choked on his water.

"Come on, Ginny. Don't be one of those people," Hermione said disappointed in her friend. Draco glanced at her, amused.

"I was just agreeing with Nott!" she said defensively, giving Theo a high-five as he walked past. Blaise flashed him a glare that would cut through steel.

"You feelin' better, mate?" asked Blaise.

"Jolly, except the smell emitting from this rats nest is making me feel a little woozy," he said, pointing at Hermione.

"Oh, grow up, you immature dirtbag," Hermione said as she slapped him across the arm.

"Ow!" he said, nurturing his precious arm. Hermione suddenly grew very concerned.

"That hurt?" she asked with her eyebrows creased together.

"Of course it did! God, Granger! You should know better than to use violence! Abuse is a huge problem in the world," he said, smirking.

"The potion is supposed to make you immune to pain for 20 minutes, and it hasn't been that long," she muttered to herself under her breath. Fortunately, Draco caught it.

"What does that mean? The potion was made wrong?" he asked, panicking.

"I hope it didn't spoil before it got into your system…walk over to that window." She ordered.

"Why should I?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I want to check if you're turning green." At that, Draco paled, and dashed over to the window.

"Why does it matter that I'm by a window?" Draco asked, uneasy.

"The moonlight makes it easier to spot the green forming into the skin," she said, "I can't really tell from here…" Walking towards him, she told him to turn around, and he obeyed. Standing only a few centimeters away from him, she brushed away some hair strands from the back of his neck.

"Granger, if you slit my throat or choke me, I swear to God-"

"Don't worry, I won't. Not when there are witnesses."

"That's reassuring."

Draco was surprised to hear Hermione give a little chuckle.

"…Ok, nothing on the back of your neck…" She turned him around so he faced her. Instantly, he tensed up. He was only a few inches taller than her, and their faces were a couple inches away. Hermione was oblivious of their closeness. She searched his neck with precision, touching some places that could be sprouting green. Draco, on the other hand, was extremely uncomfortable. They were so close they were practically against each other. He could feel Blaise's smirk, and he tried to ignore the fact that Hermione's breasts were against his chest.

"…It seems…all clear. You're all good-"

As her head shot up, their faces were an inch apart, and blood instantly rose to her cheeks. Taking several steps away from him, she bit her lip and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. There was a tense silence between the two, until Ginny emitted a small giggle. They both turned to look at the giggling pair, to find Blaise tickling Ginny. She was sprawled out on the floor, laughing her head off as Blaise grinned.

"They really are pathetic," stated Draco. Hermione looked up at him.

"Immensely vile," she said, chuckling.

"Yeah, they really should get a room."

"Or at least a stall." Draco turned to her and chuckled.

"Don't they know that it would never work? I mean, there are countless reasons why," he said, observing the laughing pair.

"I guess it just adds to the appeal. Anyway, I think none of that other stuff really matters if you really like the person," she said, earning a smirk from Draco.

"Really? Family, beliefs, all just tossed in the trash?" Draco asked, looking at her with his eyebrows raised.

"If it's the right person," she said carefully. "She really likes him, even though she just met him. She made up excuses to stay here with him. She doesn't have to be here, but she chooses to be."

"Well, to be fair, neither do you," he pointed out.

"True, but I would rather be here than at the dance."

"Why?"

"Because Ron thinks-…nothing, I'm just too tired to dance," she said, think that telling Malfoy about her 'Ron problems" would be unwise.

"What was that about Weasley?" he asked, grinning, "Let me guess, little weasel has a little crush but you aren't interested," he said bluntly.

"Wha- how…how did you know?" she asked, baffled.

"Are you kidding? He's so pathetically obvious about it. Everybody knows!"

"E-everybody? Everybody knows?" she asked, paling. Memories of people smirking at her whenever Ron put his arm over her. People giggling behind her back in class. Anytime she was alone with Ron, passing people would smile at her knowingly.

 _"_ _Oh Merlin!"_ she thought, burying her face in her hands.

"Why are you so surprised? Since you figured out he likes you, didn't you think others would too?" he asked, confused.

"I only know because Harry told me," her face still covered by her hands.

"Holy crap, Granger! You seriously never noticed how he stares at you during class?" When she shook her head, he said, "You know for the smartest witch of your age, you can be very oblivious," he said, chuckling. She lifted her head and shot him a glare.

"I am _not_ oblivious," she said, scowling at him.

"Hah! So then I guess you recall the period in time when Nott fancied you, huh?" He said, smirking at her shock.

"…What? No," she shook her head, "Nott did not like me," she said, stubbornly.

"Merlin, Granger. You really don't notice the way men look at you," he said smoothly. Hermione turned to him wide-eyed.

"Well, I guess that's a good thing. The only thing men are good for is distracting you from your work," she said. Draco raised an eyebrow so charmingly, her breath hitched.

"That, and a good lay," he said, smirking at her. She wacked him in the arm.

"Only _animals_ shag around aimlessly. It disgusts me to think some people do it here," she said, glaring at the wall.

"Do you mean Hogwarts or this bathroom? I'm pretty sure nobody shags in here, there's no place to lie down except the dirty floor. You'd have to do it all standing up…" Hermione covered her ears, repeating the words, _unicorns, rainbows, bunnies and butterflies_ to herself.

"Poor, poor, poor Granger. You think that never having sex is a _good_ thing!" he exclaimed. Hermione glared at him.

"Excuse me for not throwing my body at some hormonal teenager! If you must know, I'm saving myself for marriage," she said proudly.

"I pity the fool," he said, earning another deadly glare.

"You look less awful, I think you're free to go. Get punched by Luna, ride up some girl's dress, I don't care. Not my problem anymore," she said, walking out the door, startling Ginny.

"Mione, where are you going?" Ginny asked, confused.

"To the dance."

"Hold up, I want to come to," she said, and turned to Blaise, saying, "Maybe you should join us, I mean, if you want to," she said, shyly. Blaise grinned.

"Sure, let's get going. Hey, mate! You comin'?" he called, looking over his shoulder to Draco.

"I'll catch up, I've got to piss," he said, walking over to a urinal.

"Charming," Ginny muttered to Blaise, making him chuckle.

As Hermione walked through the grand doors, the sound of blasting music and cheering erupted in her ears. Neville ran over to her, and they walked towards the dance floor, where all of the students were crowding around.

"What's going on?" she yelled into his ear so he could hear through the music.

"Dumbledore is picking dancers, and they have to dance together to a certain style of music. Lavender and Seamus are doing hip-hop! Look!" he said excitedly, guiding her to gap in the crowd. Sure enough, Lavender was low on the ground, doing movements a gorilla would, and Seamus did the worm. Harry and Ron were chanting his name, until Harry spotted Hermione. He scooted over to her, and grinned.

"Isn't this so cool! We've never done anything like this before!" he yelled over the music, he smiled at him, "I hope I get paired up with Ginny. Hey, where is she anyway?" he asked, raising his head above the crowd, scanning the room. Hermione's smile instantly fell. When Harry saw Ginny with Blaise…

"What is _he_ doing with _her?"_ asked, his heart dropping. Hermione look at his disappointed face apologetically. She looked over and saw Ginny's arm linked with Blaise's, them looking at the dance floor excitedly.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she said, rubbing his arm tenderly. She had completely forgotten about Harry, and how he had feelings for Ginny ever since she joined the quidditch team. He looked like a wounded puppy, and Hermione hugged his stomach. He stared distantly at the couple with glossy eyes, and Hermione wanted nothing but to wipe away his pain. "Hey, just try to enjoy the party, okay?" she said softly, trying to make eye contact with him. He nodded, and smiled weakly at her.

"ALRIGHT ALL YOU 7th YEARS, LET'S PICK THE NEXT VICTIMS!" yelled Lee. The whole hall erupted in cheers and screams, so loud Hermione had to cover her ears. Two spotlights roamed around the room vigorously, as people jumped up and down and flailing their arms, while others retreated to the snack table to avoid getting picked. One of the spotlight hovered near her, and she grinned with excitement. It suddenly turned off, and turned on again to be right on her. She looked around in shock, and several hands patted her on the back encouragingly. The crowd gave her space by forming into a circle around her, with a gap so people entering from the doors can see what's going on.

Yet to find out who her partner is, she bit her lip as her eyes followed the second spotlight. It roamed around the room, and a knot of nervousness formed in her stomach.

Draco, who was just entering the Great Hall, froze, when a bright light landed on him. The whole hall fell silent, some looking horrified, others eager. Hermione, who was strangely in a circle, also with a spotlight shining on her, looked completely baffled. The other two of the Golden Trio looked like they would gladly cut off his genitals, but Ginny looked pleased. All eyes were on him, and the hall was so silent, one could hear a pin drop. His eyes loomed over all the shocked faces.

"What?"

 **A/N:** I hope you had as much fun reading this chapter as I did making it. If I hit enough comments, I'll make another one! ;) Oh, and I'll reply to all of them in the next chappy.

I already have one decided, but what style of dance do you think they'll dance to, if at all? Also, I know I put a _ton_ of Blaise x Ginny, but I think they're cute together, and it was fun to see Draco and Hermione discuss their friends' relationship.

Oh, and if you spot any errors, _please_ point it out! It's like walking around all day with food in your teeth but your friend never said anything. Thanks!

I've gotten complaints before telling me that the saying is "knock on wood" not "touch wood", but it's really both. Either can be used. Just clearing that up.

Again, thanks for reading, and I hope you comment! (Laughs nervously) I really want you to comment.


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